The best sex shops in Tokyo

Tokyo loves to present a polite, oh-so-civilised face to the world, but there's all kinds of kinky stuff going on behind closed doors. If you're struggling to imagine your neighbors so much as sharing a tonguey kiss, a trip around any of the shops listed below may give you cause to see them in a very different light indeed...

For the ultimate sexy stroll, a wander around Shibuya's Dogenzaka is still hard to beat, although the neighbourhood's been hit with several sex shop closings over the past few years. The area is well known as being home to 'Love Hotel Hill', and at night it's one of the world's great red light districts (the other being Kabukicho, of course). Explore it during the daytime, however, and it's so nondescript it could be just about anywhere. That's when you can grab your chance to peruse these bawdy boutiques in relative privacy.

5 to try

Whips, ball-gags, 747-powered dildos and corkscrew butt plugs sit side by side with schoolgirl uniforms and lingerie of a classier kind. If it's part of your wildest fantasy, chances are that M's has it in stock. They even offer tax-exemption service.

If it's a dildo with teeth you've been looking for, your search is over. This Dogenzaka adult shop has everything the rabid mind could ever hope for, and it's all neatly labelled in English, too. How kind.

Stocking the masturbation masters' complete line of solo activity aids, plus T-shirts, mugs and other gear for loyal enthusiasts, this new Shibuya superstore is clean, cozy and – dare we say it – cool. Tax-exemption available, of course.

Is it odd to call a kinky lingerie shop 'sweet'? Maybe, but that's about the best description we can come up with for this cute little backstreet shop in Gotanda. You'd have to be a prude to be offended.

First-time visitors to Harajuku might do a double take when they see this prominently placed, cheeky institution dealing in fairly innocent sex items to the amateur sexplorer. If you're looking for a Christmas stocking filler, you've come to the right place.